in this issue (pg# 10): Life (pg# 7): Opinion / (pg# 12): Sports

VANGUARDTHE

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VOL. 49, NO. 15NOV 7, 2011

LGBT amendment reexamined

JagTran issues still persist

Discrimination policy under fi re once again after 2010 battle to include LGBT rights

Veteran’s Day is Nov. 11: From USA to all who have served and their families, thank you.

Students continue to voice their disap-pointment with the JagTran system de-spite efforts over the past years to increase effi ciency.

Since its debut in early 2005, JagTran transportation offi cials have been trying to address student concerns by redrawing routes, monitoring drivers and supervis-ing the spacing between buses. The most persistent complaint students have is the long wait times and buses making them late for class.

Chris Willis, director of facilities man-agement, recently issued a report for The Vanguard entailing the current state of the JagTran system with information on routes and statistics regarding ridership from Aug. 22 through Sept. 13, 2011.

According to the report, daytime routes consist of Green, Red, Blue and Yellow routes, all in operation between the hours of 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. According to Willis, because the Green and Red routes have a total of three buses each during the day, the maximum time a student would have to wait on the bus would only be fi ve to seven minutes.

However, this factor is highly affected by proper time spacing between buses and the amount of traffi c on campus during certain times of the day. Some students argue that traffi c doesn’t excuse JagTran systems for making students late for class.

Ariel McSwain, a student who recently voiced concerns about the system in a let-ter to the editor, spoke on the recent in-stallment of traffi c lights. “I don’t think traffi c has anything to do with it. There is a system that gives the JagTran the right-of-way.”

Some students have raised other con-cerns about the colored route system it-self. “I know some students are confused

see JAGTRAN, page 4

After almost a year of discussion about the Non-Discrimination policy, the Uni-versity’s policy remains the same. How-ever, the University changed the Sexual Harassment policy to include sexual ori-entation during the summer.

Originally, the issue brought by USA’s Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Al-liance (GLBTA) at the Oct. 11, 2010 SGA meeting was about the Non-Discrimina-tion policy.

Former President of the GLBTA Patrick Collins spoke in front of the SGA stating that the policy as written did not protect students from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

The SGA formed a committee to write a

USA changed the Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence policy, but the Non-Dis-crimination policy remains the same.

GENNY ROMAN

see LGBT, page 4

resolution amending the policy to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Af-ter a long process of drafting and review from legal affairs, the resolution passed with only two votes against it at an April 2011 meeting.

The resolution the SGA wrote explic-itly states “this University does not have a policy in place that protects individuals from discrimination based on sexual ori-entation and gender identity and expres-sion. Let it be resolved that the University invent a discrimination policy to protect individuals being discriminated based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.”

From there, the resolution went to Vice President of Student Affairs John Smith.

Sgt. John Sibley, USA student, holds the Jaguar fl ag in Tallill, Iraq. He is part of a MEDEVAC company responsible for the entire south-ern portion of Iraq. The helicopter is an HH-60M Blackhawk Helicopter. His company is C Co (AA) 1/111 AVN. Go USA, and go Jags!

COURTESY OF SGT. JOHN SIBLEY

BY ALLSION ROBERTS AND KAYLEA SAUCIERContributing Writers

BY GENNY ROMANAssociate Editor

As a former member of the JMB, as well as a former member of SGA, an alumnus of the USA honors program, a former RA and a current Southbound Orientation Leader, I feel like I know something about what it means to be in the public eye.

It sucks.I feel that here The Vanguard was only

doing what they felt was right. Every story that was ever published about SGA that was negative hit my heart. Every one. But does that mean that The Vanguard was wrong for publishing it?

No. Students deserve to know what is happeneing, even if it isn’t always won-derful. Perfect examples: the Glen Gard-ner debacle; Jean-Pierre’s impeachment trail; The article on the lackluster lead-ership that is currently being exhibited within SGA. The list goes on.

Did it suck? Yes. Did it hurt? Yes. Were they right? Yes.

Instead of attacking and getting feel-ings hurt, burning bridges and all that, let’s stop and think.

When you are in the public eye, espe-cially as a group, other members of your group are likely to do something stupid. What hurts the most is that it refl ects dierctly on the group as a whole and, in turn, you. It is easy to take something like

that to heart, to view it as a marr on some-thing that you have dedicated so much time, energy and passion into. Instead, look at it objectively.

It was not you. It was two individuals with a problem, one that led to destruc-tive (and stupid) decision making.

Does it relfect on the group as a whole? No. Was it ever precieved that way? No. At least, not how I read the article. I felt it was objective, telling what there was to be told, not pointing fi ngers or assigning blame. The new article was especially well done, I feel.

The JMB does too much for something like this to tear them down. Idiocy is the language of our time, and some are much more fl uent then others; however, you cannot allow for those who try and spread discord through stupidity to win.

The Vanguard did their duty, as they would if it was an other organization, club or team on this campus. It was not a personal assault or attack on the band, one that I have heard the staff numerous times support. It was news. Ugly news, but news.

And news must be reported.

-Alan Sells

Letters to The Editor: Opposing viewsResponse was necessary to band drug incident

Jags news in brief >> when all you’ve got is the two minutes before class starts

Important election in MS Tues.Initiative 26, or as it is also known, the

“personhood” initiative, would declare that life begins at fertilization. Initiative 27 would require voters to show government-issued identifi cation at the polls.

Initiative 31 would ban the government from using eminent domain to take land for private economic projects.

State law says that for any initiative to pass, it needs a simple majority, and it must receive at least 40 percent of the to-tal votes cast in the election.

That means an initiative might be in jeopardy if it receives signifi cantly fewer votes than are cast in top-of-the-ballot races such as the governor’s election. Ini-tiatives are expected to be at the bottom of the ballot in most counties.

Courtesy of wlox.com

Clery Act shows USA assaultsAt the University of South Alabama,

which reported 18 forcible sexual assaults in the six-year period, offi cials said that most of those cases happened between students who knew each other and, though they were reported to the campus counsel-ing center or other authorities, no legal ac-tion followed.

“USA has a very strong sexual assault victims advocacy and counseling program, and reporting of sexual assault is strongly encouraged,” said USA spokesman Keith Ayers. “For this reason, it is not surprising that our numbers might appear high com-pared to other institutions.”

To help counter sexual offenses and other crimes, USA has started what it calls the fi rst on-campus domestic violence pro-gram in the country. It’s designed to help students recognize the signs of an abusive relationship -- from controlling behavior to vandalism to actual assaults -- and give them the resources to get out..

Courtesty of al.com

Occupy Mobile moving inProtestors with the Occupy Mobile

movement have set up camp at Spanish Plaza and plan to stick around for a while.

They’ve protested every Saturday, now they are making a bigger statement.

“We plan to stay out here for the long haul,” said Laci Gagliano. She fi rst heard about the movement on the Internet, and now has set up camp. “We would like to prove that we are here, we have a voice and we’ll be heard.”

The Occupy Mobile group emphasizes they are peacefully protesting.

Saturday will be the fi rst night they spend in Spanish Plaza.

As for when they plan to leave, Tyler Henderson says it could be awhile.

“We just made a countdown schedule, and it looks like it goes all the way to this time 2012.”

Courtesy of Local 15

Jazz Ensemble fall concert USA Jazz Ensemble, directed by Dr.

Tracy Heavner, will perform a fall concert on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Re-cital Hall of the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center.

This concert will feature a variety of jazz styles for big band and small ensem-ble including swing, jazz, latin, funk and the blues.

Tickets for this Musical Arts Series event will be sold at the door only. Admis-sion is $8 general and $5 for USA faculty and staff, USA students, youths under 18 and all senior citizens (cash or check only).

Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special ac-commodation may call 251-460-7116 or 251-460-6136.

Courtesy of USA PR

2VOL. 39, NO. 15 / NOV 7, 2011

Response was disrespectful to band drug incident

The Vanguard has been a big dis-apointment to me. Is this school paper here to build up the school reputation or make the University look dishonorable? To the Vanguard -

I was a guest in the hotel with the band students, on Saturday morning. A visitor (not affi liated with USA) walked up to me, voluntarily commented on HOW POLITE AND WELL BEHAVED THE UNIVERSI-TY OF SOUTH ALABAMA MARCHING BAND had presented themselves at the hotel!!!

I felt very proud to be wearing a USA logo shirt and thanked this gentelman so much for taking the time to share his opinion and that I would pass this com-pliment on to the JMB and director.

VANGUARD: where are you when the JMB works thousands of long, hot hours practicing for pre-game and halftime shows?

Where are you when they are travel-ing on recruiting trips to cities through-out Alabama (while the football team is at away games) - long hours on buses and getting in at 2 a.m.?

ALSO, get your facts straight - don’t

even have the year right 2008 - Wrong! They began in 2009 (FACT), look it up. You want to take what two students did wrong out of 200 and more students that do things right.

Most of the band students are hon-or students, work two jobs and march from August to November and in outside events for one credit hour.

How many students would want to do this? Call it dedication - and not lazy students. Well, JMB you have my upmost respect no matter what “The Vanguard” says, and I hope outsiders that read this will think how low the Editor is - no mat-ter who wrote it - it had to be accepted by “her”.

To the editor of Vanguard and whoev-er wrote the column get another job cause you have failed on this one. And to your gossip conncection that was in Atlanta, fi nd something better to do with your life - like looking for good things in people and organizations than digging up dirt!

I hope I have made my feelings clear about The Vanguard. Thank you.

-Becky Mothershed McDonald

Editor’s note: Please visit thevanguardonline.com and search for the September 13 article, “Jaguar Marching Band Pride.”

3VOL. 39, NO. 15 / NOV 7, 2011

“University of South Alabama’s Student Voice”

editor in chiefassociate editorsenior reporter

copy editorlife editor

opinion editorsports editor

web editor

Cassie FambroGenny RomanMatt WeaverCarey CoxBailey HammondImran MohiuddinJayson CurryNaquita Hunter

distribution manager Johnny Davis

advertising managergraphic designer

Assistant

Wesley Jackson

Brittany Hawkins

Mohammad Al-Zarrah

adviseraccounting

James AucoinKathy Brannan

editorial

distribution

advertising

management

missionThe Vanguard, the student-run newspaper

of the University of South Alabama, serves its readership by reporting the news involving the campus community and surrounding areas. The Vanguard strives to be impartial in its re-porting and believes fi rmly in its First Amend-ment rights.

submission and editorial policiesSend letters and guest columns to:

The Vanguard University of South Alabama

P.O. Drawer U-1057 Mobile, Ala., 36688.

or editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com

Letters and guest columns must be re-ceived by 7 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to the Monday publication. Submissions should be typed and must include the writer’s name, year, school and telephone number.

All submissions become the property of The Vanguard. Unsigned letters will not be pub-lished. The Vanguard reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length and clarity. Letters will be limited to 300 words. Letters and guest columns are the opinion of the writer.

The Staff Editorial represents the consen-sus opinion of the Editorial Board, which is composed of the Editor in Chief, Associate Edi-tor, Copy Editor, Senior Reporter, and Opinion Editor. All members of the Editorial Board have the same weight during weekly Editorial Board meetings.

The Vanguard has a commitment to accu-racy and clarity and will print any corrections or clarifi cations. To report a mistake, call the Editor in Chief at 251-460-6442 or e-mail edi-tor.in.chief@usavanguard.com.

The Vanguard is published Mondays during the academic year, except for exam periods and vacations, and is published twice each summer.

The Vanguard is supported in part by an allocation from student activity fees and oper-ates in the Student Media Department of the Division of Student Affairs. Issues are avail-able at most University buildings and select off-campus locations. The fi rst copy is free. Additional copies are $1 each.

PAGE threeweather forecast >>November 7 - Nov. 13

We’ll start off the school week with sunny skies and highs in the low 70s and over-night lows near 50. Clouds will start to move in on Tuesday as a cold front approaches. Highs will warm to the upper 70s. On Wednesday, showers and thunder-storms move in with mostly cloudy skies, highs will be in the mid 70s and low near 60. Some storms could be strong. Thursday and Friday will be sunny, breezy and cool with highs in the upper 60s with overnight lows in the mid to upper 30s. The weekend looks good with sunny skies and highs near 70 and lows near 40.

Courtesy of Patrick Bigbie, Student Meteo-rologist Gamma 9 Weather Center

for the latest on your forecast, severe weather updates, and what’s going on in the tropics, fi nd us on Facebook search “StormTeam4Gamma9Wx”

you can follow us on Twitter, toosearch “stormteam4g9wx”

and fi nd Patrick on Twitter search “metwxpatrick”

mon

tue

wed

thu

fri

sat

sun

7351

7752

7660

6849

6735

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7240

Police blotter10/28 Driving Under the Infl uenceA suspect was arrested on suspicion of driving under the infl uence near Jaguar Dr. at approximately 1:10 a.m. The suspect was also in pos-session of alcohol and violation of government law.

10/28 Criminal MischiefA suspect was arrested for causing damage to private property and a count of criminal mischief near the Delta 6 parking lot at approximately 1:07 p.m.

10/31 Hit and RunA hit and run occurred at approxi-mately 3:05 p.m. near Greek Row.

11/01 Abandoned VehicleA vehicle was reported as aban-doned near the Gamma Lot at ap-proximately 2:34 a.m.

11/01 Driving with Suspended Li-censeA suspect was pulled over near the Delta Lot and was found to be driv-ing with a suspended license at ap-proximately 10:10 a.m.

11/01 Unlawful Breaking and En-tering a Vehicle A black pickup truck was broken

into near the humanities building at approximately 9:15 p.m. $120 cash and a Mississippi driver’s license was reported as stolen.

11/03 Buying and Receiving Sto-len PropertyStolen property was purchased near Old Shell Rd. at approximate-ly 1:24 a.m.

11/03 Unlawful Breaking and EnteringA vehicle was broken into near the Chemistry Lot at approximately 11:06 a.m.

11/03 Domestic IncidentA domestic incident was reported near Stadium Blvd. at approxi-mately 11:06 a.m.

11/04 Burglary of Automobile (No theft)A vehicle was broken into near the rear lot of the Kappa Alpha house at approximately 11:49 a.m.Have a quesion for USAPD? Send it

to editor.in.chief@usavanguard.com and we’ll get an answer for you.

Special thanks to USAPD

CORRECTIONThe two band students suspended after being caught with cocaine are 18, not 19, as the blotter contained last week. The article said that they were 18 was correct.

Thousands of Vanguards stolen week of Nov. 1

USAPD is investigating the theft of up to 5,000 Vanguards Monday night, Nov. 1. The fi rst copy of The Vanguard is free, but each additional copy is $1. This means that the perpetrator(s) owe the University thousands of dollars.

The Vanguard is partially paid for by student fees, so the theft is from the Uni-versity, and it is considered censorship.

Jim Aucoin, chair of the department of communication and advisor to The Vanguard, said. “We estimate the stolen newspapers’ value at somewhere between

$3,000 and $5,000. The Vanguard pub-lications are paid for by students and advertisers. But beyond the value is the outrageous but unsuccessful attempt at censorship by the person or persons re-sponsible. The attempt was unsuccessful because the story they may have wanted to cover up is on The Vanguard’s webpage and there were copies of the paper that did get into the hands of students, faculty and staff. Nothing was covered up. We intend to punish whoever took the papers when we identify them.”

4VOL. 39, NO. 15 / NOV 7, 2011

An administrative committee was formed to review the reso-lution and possible changes to the Non-Discrimination policy. According to Smith, the committee worked through the spring and summer, review-ing USA’s policies.

In April, the Uni-versity received a Dear Colleague letter from the U.S. Department of Education, sent to all federally funded colleges and univer-sities, concerning the Offi ce of Civil Rights’ interpretation of fed-eral law Title IX and guidance on how to ensure colleges and universities are in compliance.

The University reviewed their policies and changed the Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence policy to include sexual orientation. The Non-Discrimination pol-icy remained the same and, according to Smith, is in compliance with federal and

state regulations. “I’m disappoint-

ed in the University of South Alabama,” Collins said in re-sponse to hearing the Non-Discrim-ination remained unchanged.

“If you look at the other poli-cies in the state of Alabama, [Uni-

versity of Alabama – Birmingham] and [University of Ala-bama] have beat us. Two of the other major schools in the state are ahead of us in terms of policy change… if we’re supposed to be the

leading edge of Alabama education, then why are our policies outdated?”

The Vanguard will continue to follow this story and let readers know of any de-velopments.

GENNY ROMAN

LGBT dissapointment voicedLGBT, from Page One

JagTran looking to improveJAGTRAN, from Page One

about which lines go to which buildings, so maybe they should show which places they go to on the trams,” communication major Jalisa Ambrose said.

Willis’ report also states that South Ala-bama offers a pedestrian-friendly campus with paved side walks for students and encourages an alternative means of com-muting by bike or foot. Student, and Jag-Bike mechanic, Jacques Chouinard, spoke on the advantages of this newly instituted form of transit on campus.

“[The bikes] cut down on traffi c. More people on bikes means less people driv-ing around campus and clogging up the roads,” Chouinard said.

Although the report supports walking or biking, it also puts into consideration students’ reliance on vehicle transporta-tion due to frequent heavy rains and hot summers in Mobile.

JagTran routes and drivers are being monitored and supervised more now than in the past to keep the buses on an effi cient time schedule and running smoothly. Each year, the routes are redrawn by the SGA due to complaints fi led by student riders, and the altered routes help make the Jag-Tran more effective.

Periodically, the JagTran has student employees who act as “secret shoppers”

during the year to notify offi cials of reoc-curring problems with drivers and routes as well.

This year the JagTran trams will be retired from daily runs. Willis said that the trams were too slow and expensive to maintain. The trams will be replaced by new buses that will be slightly larger, hold-ing up to 28 passengers with more stand-ing room as well.

The new buses are expected to be placed on the Green route, which holds an average of 6,000 students per week. Eliminating the trams and replacing them with larger buses will further improve the current JagTran system by allowing more room for riders.

“Our Goal is to have a reliable system,” Willis said. “We want students to contact us when they have problems.”

The JagTran, while not perfect, has made many improvements over the past few years and continues to strive to satisfy student needs.

Willis encourages students to report any issues they have with the JagTran on the day it occurs, so it can be addressed immediately. Students can email trans-portation@usouthal.edu or call 460-7777 to report a JagTran problem or register a complaint.

“Why are our policies outdated?”

– Patrick Collins Former GLBTA President

5VOL. 39, NO. 15 / NOV 7, 2011

BY PATRICK HERRINGStaff Reporter

Have you ever taken money out of your wallet and thrown it on the ground? How about flushed it down the toilet?

That is basically what you are do-ing when you don’t take advantage of the numerous events brought to campus by Jaguar Productions, your student activities board.

Every student that attends this University pays something called a student activity fee. Many of you probably had no idea you were pay-ing this fee, and the ones that were aware of the fee probably don’t know where that money goes.

Well, among other places, that money goes to Jaguar Productions to sponsor both entertaining and educational events for the student body.

The majority of events put on by Jaguar Productions are free be-cause of this fee. In other words, you’ve already paid for them.

This semester Jaguar Produc-tions has already sponsored numer-

Spotlight: Jaguar Productions perks

Jaguar Productions sponsors an annual foam party, one of their most popular events. They host it at the residence halls, and hundreds of students dance in foam.

COURTESY OF JP

ous events that were free and open to all students. From a block party with food, games and music to a stand-up comic and even a foam party, just to name a few.

There are many more events com-

ing later this semester.But putting on events isn’t the only

thing Jaguar Productions does. They also sell discounted tickets to several different entertainment destinations all around Mobile, including Car-

mike theaters, Bayfest, the Mobile Symphony and Bellingrath Gardens.

Jaguar Productions is open to all students who wish to join. It is com-prised of 10 student-run committees.

The students have most of the say-so in programming events on cam-pus. So if you’ve been unsatisfied with the events Jaguar Productions has been sponsoring, join the group so your voice can be heard.

“Jaguar Productions is the most fun organization I have been a part of since I’ve been at South,” Chris-tian Lee, the organization’s presi-dent, said.

The Vanguard’s back page always has the events Jaguar Productions is planning for the current week.

You can follow Jaguar Productions on Facebook “JP South”, or con-tact them by email at jpclubsouth@gmail.com.

The deal with the missing Jag Bikes

Many students have been asking, along with local media, just where the infamous Jag Bikes have ended up three months af-ter their intial introduction.

STAFF ILLUSTRATION

BY MATT WEAVERSenior Reporter

Once plentiful on campus, Jag Bikes have become a scarce commodity.

The only Jag Bikes South Alabama students are likely to find now are dam-aged, have flat tires or are miss-ing chains.

The Vanguard scoured the campus grounds last week, find-ing seven bikes, only one of them unusable.

The Vanguard ran a story on Sept. 26 (Pedaling For-ward: Jag Bikes 2.0 Unveiled) announc-ing that dozens of Jag Bikes were to be re-released to the University after un-dergoing repairs at the University Com-mons.

The initial bike design featured frag-ile frames and required renovations just weeks after roll-out.

Despite being released back onto campus, bikes are still difficult to lo-cate for students opting to rely on the public program. Theft is one of the chief reasons for missing bikes according to USAPD.

“We are seeing scenarios where stu-dents are taking bikes off-campus to

restaurants and back to their apartments,” USAPD Lt. Keith West said.

“I wouldn’t call a student taking a bike across the street for an hour to eat lunch stealing, but when you see someone with a bike at 1 a.m., a line

might have been crossed.”One such scenario occurred on Nov.

2 when a student had ridden a Jag Bike to the nearby Picklefish restaurant at 1 a.m. where Mobile Police notified US-APD of a Jag Bike sighting off-campus. Bikes have also been sighted as far as Airport Blvd. and Hwy. 90 respectively.

A secondary problem is that many

of the bikes are still being held at the University Commons for repair and res-toration.

Other bikes are being used by stu-dents and brought back to dorms to stay overnight.

This is not a banned practice, but it is recommended that if a student chooses to do so that they keep only one and re-member that the bikes were intended as community property.

Jag Bikes were the brainchild of South Alabama’s Jag Smart commit-tee and intended to pave the way for a greener campus.

The project was all about changing the culture of transportation on cam-pus according to the council’s advisor, assistant professor of geology Dr. Jim Connors. On that front, the project has been viewed as a success.

“We set out to change the culture of riding bikes on campus, and if you look at the number of private bikes on cam-pus, we’ve succeeded,” Connors said.

“If you look at the number of private

bikes on campus, we’ve succeeded.”

– Dr. Jim ConnorsJag Smart

6VOL. 39, NO. 15 / NOV 7, 2011

Mortar Board hosts top prof eventBY CASSIE FAMBRO AND

BRADON CATENEditor-in-Chief and Contributing

Writer

The Azalea chapter of Mortar Board at the University of South Alabama re-cently honored the University’s “Top Profs” at their annual Top Prof Banquet on Nov. 1, 2011. Lauren Gessner, the Mortar Board Vice President, describes Mortar Board as “an accumulation of motivated seniors.”

The National College Senior Honor Society annually asks each member to choose the faculty or staff member that has impacted their lives the most throughout their collegiate career at

George Alvey Dr. Keith BlackwellAaron Bearden Dr. Jerry Alan BushEric Beovich Dr. Larry GurchiekJennifer Black Mr. Joel BordenOlivia Bu ers Dr. Romulus GodangBrandon Caten Dr. Laura MooreKamil ArifSarah Dolbear

Dr. Robin Mocke

Hijrah El Sabae Dr. Sandra StensonCassandra Fambro Dr. Jim ConnorsLauren Gessner Dr. Corina SchulzePaul Hixon Dr. Cindy Stanfi eldKelley Jackson Dr. Brenda BeverlyMeagan Jackson Dr. John McMenaminSidney King Dr. Jim ConnorsSara Lo Dr. Richard RogersDus n Mouret Dr. Dan RogersSarah Naylor Dr. F. Caroll DoughertyDerrick Nelson Dr. Mark AdamsMark Norris Dr. Bret WebbLyndsey Pate Ms. Mara KozelskyMa hew Pischek Dr. Sco CarterAshley Pi man Dr. Shokolenko

Daniel RobinsonDr. Jennifer LanghinrichsenRohling

Ian Rogers Dr. Julio TurrensGenny Roman Dr. Kevin MeekerRichard Salter Mr. Ward MillerOmar Silva Ms. Kelly TaylorJordan Spidle Ms. Pa y DavisSamantha Sundeman Ms. Kelly ByrdMisbahudin Syed Dr. Kevin WestJulie Tanner Dr. William GillisJake Walker Dr. Thomas G. ThomasKristy Welch Dr. Sco MillerChris na Wright Dr. Robert HolmHannah Yeats Dr. Zohair Husain

Courtesy of Dr. Sally Steadman

Mortar Board students Mortar Board top profs

South Alabama. Dr. Sally Steadman of the College of Engineering and faculty advisor for Mortar Board called the event a “resounding success.” “I can at-test to how meaningful it is to hear these things from great students,” Steadman said. “The faculty were so appreciative of the students remarks and the admin-istrators all told me what a classy event Top Prof was.”

With a co-sponsorship from the Stu-dent Government Association, Mortar Board members were able to invite their professors to enjoy an evening off cam-pus at the historic Bragg-Mitchell Man-sion while enjoying food and beverages

provided by Naman’s Catering.Brandon Caten, Mortar Board

member and Top Prof chair, said that each “Top Prof” was invited for dif-ferent reasons, but they all seemed to share one common attribute in the eyes of the members. “Education doesn’t just happen during the years you are in college,” Caten said. “Edu-cation continues throughout your life, and every one of the Top Prof recipi-ents were chosen because they are giv-ing use the tools to learn long after we graduate.”

Even a week after, members are still singing their praises of the event

and its huge success. Gessner says that “the Top Prof event is now one of my fa-vorite college memories.”

Applications to join Mortar Board will be available to upcoming Seniors beginning in January and are usually due in the middle of March.

Gessner would like to make sure that upcoming seniors have the same oppor-tunity as she has. “To enjoy the company of such people in your senior year is in-credible! I highly encourage underclass-men to keep the honor society in mind as they approach senior year. It has op-portunities that you’ll never forget.”

Students such as Honors senior Jordan Spidle dined at the Bragg-Mitchell mansion for the Top Prof banquet and reception. Spidle and other Mortar Boarders honored professors that made a difference in their lives.

Faculty and administrators also joined Mortar Board to show their support for the students and the professors. Dr. John Smith, vice president of student affairs, said that the profes-sors that go the extra mile speak to the true credibility and reputation of the University.

FAMBRO

FAMBRO

7VOL. 39, NO. 15 / NOV 7, 2011

OPINIONTime to reconsider “marriage”

IMRAN MOHIUDDINOPINION EDITOR

Our view >> a staff editorial

Censorship not an american ideal

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Ev-eryone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference, and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers.”

The Student Press Law Center states that “newspaper theft is a crime. It is also a terribly effective form of censorship. Each year dozens of student newspapers and other publications across the country fall victim to thieves whose intent is to prevent the dissemination of news, information and opinion with which they disagree.”

Censorship is fl at out idiotic. The University of South Alabama isn’t China, and this isn’t Facebook. You don’t get to hide reality from the newsfeed that is real life and you don’t get to block the media from your life.

We suspect that we know exactly who took the newspapers last week from our racks on Monday night. We also believe the cameras will prove us right, and we’ll wait until then to confi rm or accuse in any manner.

Common sense would dictate that most people would be able to fi gure it out, though.

Alas. The point is that making a sweep of campus to obtain newspapers paid for by student fees is theft.

The people who did it are theives. They didn’t just steal free papers; they stole from the students of the University of South Alabama.

Unknown to many, page three has always had a little blurb at the end of the fi ne print that states that any additional copy after the fi rst one that is free, is $1.

We believe three to fi ve thousand copies were stolen last week. Meaning, someone owes the students $3,000 to $5,000.

Not only is stealing newspapers petty, childish and immature, it is very much illegal.

A similar incident occured almost a decade ago with The Van-guard. There have been repeated instances of newspaper thefts across the country when a negative article runs about an organi-zation or even a bad restaurant review. Racks are suddenly barren way before they usually are.

That means to whoever did it, you’re not original.The University of Texas, the University of Kentucky, the

University of Florida, and Pennsylvania State University all have something in common: successful prosecutions of newspaper thieves.

At fi rst glance, many people may not think that the prank of stealing thousands of Vanguards is that big of a deal.

There are eight Vanguard student employees that put a total of over 100 hours a week into this paper. That’s not including the advertising staff.

This paper is funded by student fee money as well as advertis-ing contracts with local businesses that do nothing but support South Alabama and their sports teams and goals.

Stealing the paper and robbing readers is not the way to state your opinion about coverage of an unpopular story. News is news and must be reported.

We sincerely hope that USAPD continues to fully investigate this and that the culprits are brought to justice.

Have a little class, respect, and maturity, folks.Free speech doesn’t always mean roses and lollipops.

Editorial Board

Imran Mohiuddin > Opinion EditorMatt Weaver > Senior Reporter

Bailey Hammond > Life Editor Jayson Curry > Sports Editor

Cassie Fambro > Editor in Chief Genny Roman > Associate Editor

Jag voice >> opinion poll

Should the police have been involved in the cocaine scandal?“I do believe that the police should be involved in the matter because it concerns an illegal substance. It’s under their jurisdiction. Students are arrested on campus for possession of drugs all the time, why should this incident be any different?”

Aysha RizaviChemistryFreshman

IMRAN MOHIUDDIN, OPINION EDITORopinion.editor@usavanguard.com

Earlier this week, I learned that Kim Kar-dashian and Kris Humphries have decided to call it a quits; the two fi led for divorce only 72 days after exchanging “I do’s.” In an interview with David Koch and Melissa Doyle, the hosts of Australian morning talk show “Sunrise,” Kardashian hinted that irreconcilable differ-ences were the cause for the split, mention-ing that, “I think when you know so deep in your heart that you just to listen to your intu-ition and follow your heart, there’s no right or wrong thing to do.”

While the indirectness of Kardashian’s speech make the words seem original, the statement ultimately boils down to the same cheesy and cliché Woody Allen line that we’ve all heard a million times: the heart wants what the heart wants. It took Kardashian and Humphries less than three months to decide that they weren’t soul mates, and the institu-tion of marriage opened its doors for this mis-matched pair.

Despite the fact that most critics be-lieved that Kardashian and Humphries were doomed to failure, the government never called into question the two’s right to wed be-cause they are consenting adults. Both under-stood the implications of marriage when they decided to marry, and that’s the only confi r-mation our bureaucratic system needs for a man and a woman. So why should the process be so different when two consulting adults of the same sex want to exchange vows?

Looking at the arguments against gay mar-riage, it’s easy to see why so many people fi nd the ban on gay marriage so reprehensible. Technically, marriage is nothing more than a legally binding contract, but most of the argu-ments I found centered on religious scripture.

Those that didn’t, attempting to appeal to a secular mind, weren’t much more substan-tial. They assert claims like homosexuality is a choice, even though the American Psycho-logical Association has repeatedly stated that sexual orientation is an inborn characteristic. We are no more free to determine our sexual orientation than we are to determine the color of our skin.

Taking a look through the pages of history, we can see that mankind has a problem with persecution. Less than 50 years ago, a com-monly held idea was that blacks and whites couldn’t peacefully coexist. Today, when we analyze this assertion with the clarity of hind-sight, we can recognize the absurdity of this claim.

After looking at persecution of the homo-sexual community, it becomes obvious that the cycle of discrimination is repeating. If we allow people like Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries to marry and divorce in 72 days, then there is no reason why we shouldn’t ex-tend the privilege to all adults.

“I think that USA made a good deci-sion in not getting local law enforce-ment involved. Had they done so, one extremely stupid decision by those students could have ruined their entire futures. USA has given them a chance to get their acts to-gether and get back on track, which I applaud. One chance, however, and only one, is what should be given.”

Jake HowellBiologyJunior

“While my fi rst reaction is that the police should have been involved because it is a felony. I would certainly hope for the same treatment if I were in the students’ shoes. I’m glad that University decided to handle it rather than the police.”

Tony GreenComputer ScienceSophomore

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exer-cise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

To fi nd us > search “The Vanguard USA”Write for Opinion: email opinion.editor@usavanguard.com

8

POINT COUNTERPOINTEditor’s introduction: This Tuesday, Mississippi voters will head to the polls and vote on Amendment 26 to the Mississippi Constitution. This amendment redefi nes life as including “every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the equivalent thereof.” While some fi nd this amendment necessary for preserving the lives of the unborn, others see it as an attack on personal freedoms. The P/CP explores this question.

According to the non-profit research group Guttmacher Institute, Mississippi had more than 9,000 unplanned teen pregnan-cies in the past year.

This number is sure to rise if Amendment 26 passes on Nov. 8.

Although the amendment primarily aims to end abortions in the state, it will come with many other consequences.

First of all, this amendment could ban certain forms of birth control, such as the IUD and “morning after” pills.

In addition to preventing fertilization of the eggs, these and other types of birth control also thin the lining of the uterus.

This is done in order to prevent a fertil-ized egg from attaching to the uterine wall. If personhood is determined from the point of fertilization, as the amendment desires, this would be illegal.

Additionally, miscarriage could also be considered illegal if the initiative passes. Under Amendment 26, a woman could be held liable for a natural miscarriage.

According to most studies, 10 to 25 per-cent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage or stillbirth.

The liability of this common occurrence would not just put an emotional and finan-cial strain on the individual woman.

It would also exert the court system and local law enforcement, resulting in a higher cost to the taxpayer.

Another consequence of the amendment is the impediment to scientific progress. Amendment 26 will effectively ban embry-onic stem cell research.

The National Institute for Health states that stem cell research is one of the most highly invested research fields due to its po-tential for curing various diseases and status as a renewable resource.

Another recent scientific development that is endangered by the amendment is in vitro fertilization. In this method of repro-

duction, eggs are fertilized outside of the uterus.

Many of these zygotes do not sur-vive this process, making in vitro fertil-ization illegal under the amendment.

As the state has seen with its failed abstinence-only initiative, ignoring reproductive issues does not make them go away.

Amendment 26 will ensure the rise of teen pregnancies and “back alley abortions” that will endanger the lives of many disadvantaged young women.

However, it is not only teenagers that will be harmed by the passing of this amendment.

Ultimately, the core of this issue is the attack on all women’s rights.

Personhood Mississippi, the group behind the initiative, states that the purpose of the amendment is “to protect all human beings, irrespective of age, health, function, physical or mental dependency or method of reproduction, from the beginning of their biological development.”

Who will this amendment really protect? It will not protect women whose lives

are endangered by pregnancy complications nor those who become pregnant through rape or incest.

It will not protect women who need ac-cess to birth control for pregnancy preven-tion or nonsexual health problems, such as PCOS.

It will not protect women who should have the right to decide what happens in their uteruses.

The only thing that Amendment 26 will protect is the belief that it is okay to force your religious beliefs on other people, de-spite the economic and social ramifications.

Vote for the freedom to choose. Vote no on Amendment 26.

Counterpoint >> We need to establish boundaries

“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happi-ness,” these few words of the Declaration of Independence are the creed of the United States.

The U.S. Constitu-tion was written to uphold these ideals of the Declaration so that they would come to define this nation.

“Life” is an unalien-able right, yet the defi-nition of “life” is one that has lacked clarity.

Amendment 26 to the Mississippi Con-stitution ends this dilemma. It declares one to be a person at “the moment of fertiliza-tion,” and it is an initiative that is going to solve a lot of problems.

“The moment of fertilization” can be defined in medical literature as, “when the deoxyribose nucleic acids from the sperma-tozoon and the ovum come together to form the zygote.”

As a result, Amendment 26 does effec-tively outlaw abortion, but why is this “mo-ment of fertilization” chosen as the moment life begins?

Upon fertilization lies the potential to become a full-fledged human being. The first cell of an individual contains the in-formation that will determine one’s future health, intellectual potential, and even criminal tendencies.

The American Bioethics Advisory Com-mission even says “that a human life begins at the moment of fertilization.” There is no such thing as a “potential life.”

As a result this amendment makes per-fect sense. It preserves the sanctity of life, one of the cornerstones of the U.S.

If we compromise this cornerstone, than we are no longer the same nation.

As individuals, we often struggle to reconcile our desire to help rid a woman of such a massive burden as that of a child with our desire to preserve that same child’s life.

But is it really fair to deny a person the

opportunity to live on this Earth? Constitu-tionally, morally and ethically, the answer is an unequivocal no.

Opponents of Amendment 26 often point to the financial burdens that would arise if the practice of abortion were outlawed.

However, can you really put a price tag on what a life is worth?

Should we kill off a couple of hun-dred thousand people so we can meet our budget?

It is entirely unethical to make such a claim.

In the instance of a woman being raped, things get a little testier, but a life

still needs preservation. Imagine telling a woman you meet at

a grocery store who is alive because her mother was raped that her mother should have had the right to abort her, that it should have been someone else’s decision whether or not she live.

It’s not fair for someone to be raped, but it’s even more unfair to deny someone the opportunity to simply live.

Those who advocate against Amend-ment 26 also allude to a supposed ambigu-ity of the bill’s words.

They misconstrue its meaning to apply to ridiculous cases such as a woman being charged with murder for having a miscar-riage.

The intent of the amendment is to sim-ply provide a framework upon which to build upon.

It is entirely unreasonable to currently apply this amendment to every scenario that may arise.

Questions regarding certain forms of birth control, in vitro fertilization, etc. are intended to be answered with time by the courts and legislatures of Mississippi.

The purpose of Amendment 26 is to de-fine life, a term that has needed a definition for a very long time.

Is Amendment 26 the right way to go for Mississippi?

Point >> Choice is what matters most

Megan Heatherly Shivam Amin

9VOL. 39, NO. 15 / NOV 7, 2011

VOL. 39, NO. 15 / NOV 7, 201110

Going mobile in MobileBAILEY HAMMONDJagLife Editor

In this world of technology, the turn-over rate for new gadgets and gizmos is ever-increasing and doesn’t seem to be reaching a plateau.

The same can be said for the power of Google.

Since its inception in 1998, Google has become a massive behemoth of the Internet.

Just this September, Google has even managed to digitize the Dead Sea Scrolls in a partnership with the Israel Museum.

With a plethora of applications and products under its belt, Google has the closest thing to a monopoly on the Inter-net as can be had by any multi-national company.

It’s enormous, and it’s here to bring the mobile to Mobile.

Through its newest project, Google is offering a rare free service to local busi-nesses that will allow them to make their websites compatible for mobile devices.

This project is called GoMo. Partnering with Google in this initia-

tive is Red Square Agency, Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Mo-bile Alliance, Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce, DudaMobile and Mobify.

There will be a meeting for advertising professionals on Monday, Nov. 14 at Red Square Agency, and it will be to discuss the details of utilizing mobile sites for clients.

Advertising professionals can request an invitation on www.howtogomo.com event page.

There will also be “Mobilization Jams” for businesses of any size on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at Space 301 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

More information can be found on the events page as well, but the sessions will be aimed at helping the business owners to understand the importance of going mobile.

The same day, there will be a special session for the senior leaders of larger businesses and it begins at 7 p.m., also at Space 301.

There will be a second chance for busi-ness owners to attend the “Mobilization Jams” on Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

More information on these sessions and registration is available on the GoMo website.

As the judges are deliberating on the winners, Dr. Cunningham “steps” into the spotlight, awing onlookers, as red-dressed Chi Omega darlings grace the stage. Some are more surprised than others.

JAKE HOWELL/ JAGLIFE WRITER

Songfest 2011‘Party in the USA’

Chi Omega’s Songfest is always an entertaining event on the University of South Alabama’s campus.

Where else can you see the future doctors of Alpha Epsilon Delta getting crunk, the brothers Kappa Sigma “rollin’ on the riv-er,” and Dr. Carl Cunningham Jr., of the Offi ce of Multicultural Student Affairs, break it down?

This year’s Songfest theme, “Party in the USA,” allowed an in-credibe diversity of songs to be performed by fi ve sororities, six fraternities and two independent groups.

Songs ranged from the National Pan-Hellenic Council’s per-formance of LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” to Pi Kappa Phi’s rendition of The Beach Boys’ “Surfi n’ U.S.A.”

While the night was undoubtedly entertaining, the purpose of the whole event can’t be left out.

Chi Omega goes to such great lengths to put on such an en-joyable show in order to support their national philanthropy, the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation is an organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses.

As stated on their website, wish.org, since 1980, 214,172 wish-es granted, a wish granted every 40 minutes.

One wish story from the Foundation’s website is of Dalton, a 9-year-old born with cerebral palsy, whose one wish was to have a voice.

Through volunteers and donations, the Make-A-Wish Foun-dation was able to provide this young boy with a computerized

The ladies of Chi Omega welcomed organizations and the public for a night of songtastic fun.

JAKE HOWELLJagLife Writer

speech device.Dalton’s mother told the Foundation, “There are no words to

explain what it means. It’s going to change our lives.”Chi Omega’s dedication and hard work over the past year

raised a grand total of $16,224.35 for the Make-A-Wish Founda-tion.

John Sweeney, the Alabama Regional Director of Develop-ment for the Georgia and Alabama chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, attended Songfest.

Onstage, he told the ladies of Chi Omega that, out of all the events he’s attended, Songfest “sets the bar for creativity.”

Songfest, however, is not just a fundraiser. The sororities, fraternities and independent organizations put in hours of work practicing their routines in order to win the Songfest competition.

After deliberating, the panel of four judges declared the ladies of Alpha Omicron Pi the winners of the sorority competition, the men of Kappa Sigma the winners of the fraternity competition, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council the winner of the indepen-dent competition.

The men of Sigma Chi were named most entertaining of the night with their version of Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel,” and The Guess Who’s “American Woman.”

Runners up in the sorority category were the ladies of Kappa Delta, while the men of Tau Kappa Epsilon took second for the fraternities.

BAILEY HAMMOND, JAGLIFE EDITORlife.editor@usavanguard.com

jagLIFE

11VOL. 39, NO. 15 / NOV 7, 2011

‘Salvage the Bones’ author interview

This sophomore novel by USA professor Jesmyn Ward is on display in the English department.

COURTESY LINUSSBLANKET.COM

BAILEY HAMMONDJagLife Editor

Every year, 20 novels are chosen as fi -nalists for the National Book Award.

Books of fi ction, nonfi ction, poetry and young people’s fi ction are considered and the committee has to narrow down the large fi eld of applicants to just fi ve for each category.

This year, the Gulf Coast is represented by author Jesmyn Ward, associate English professor here at USA.

Her second novel, “Salvage the Bones,” is one of the fi ve chosen for the fi ction cat-egory for 2011.

On Nov. 16, Ward will fi nd out if her book has been chosen at the National Book Award ceremony in New York City.

The Vanguard recently sat down with Jesmyn Ward and asked her some ques-tions about writing, being a fi nalist and her experiences being an author.

VG: Has it set in yet that your book is a fi nalist for the National Book Award?

Ward: This is totally unexpected for me. I never thought that this book would receive the kind of attention that is has at all. I think part of that is due to the fact that my fi rst book didn’t really get a lot of attention. So, I didn’t think that this was going to happen, but now that it has hap-pened, I think that that mindset, like I’m still stuck in that mindset of, you know, it’s not really going to be recognized. You know what I mean? That’s why I can’t even think about the fact that it might win, be-cause it’s not a reality for me yet, I think.

Interview with Jesmyn Ward--on her book and on being a National Book Award fi nalist.

VG: The ceremony is coming up on Nov. 16.

Ward: Yep. The sixteenth. And I’ll be there on the fi fteenth; I have to read on the fi fteenth. And that’s even worse! Like, putting on the pressure.

VG: Do you know which section of your book you’re going to read?

Ward: I have no idea what section I’m going to read. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them, if you’ve read it yet.

VG: I haven’t read it yet, but if it makes you feel any better, I haven’t even heard of the other books, so you have a big step up in that regard.

Ward: [Laughs.] That does make me feel a little better.

VG: I know that when you were writing this book, you tried to capture something of the event of Katrina. And you modeled each chapter after a day?

Ward: Yes. Each chapter’s a day. VG: And there’s 12 chapters, so 12 days?Ward: Hurricane Katrina happens in

the eleventh chapter. VG: So it’s building up to the event?Ward: The twelfth chapter is sort of

the day after Katrina, the aftermath of the storm.

VG: Do you think it will have a lot of emotional impact on local readers, people who were there for Katrina?

Ward: I think so. Because I think that the fact that I lived through Hurricane Ka-trina with my family, that that lends some sort of, not credibility, but some sort of, you know—

VG: Validity, maybe?Ward: Yeah, because the reader will

know that I experienced it, that I’m not imagining it. Although there’s power in imagining things, but I think that it changes the reader’s experience when they know that the writer has gone through it or something.

The second part of this two-piece inter-view will be in next week’s issue, as Ward prepares for the award ceremony.

weekly lowdown

mon > nov 7USA Women’s Basketball vs. West

Florida

7:05 p.m. Mitchell Center Tickets $5, kids under 12 free, USA students free with student ID.

tue > nov 8Top Group Presents an Informa-

tion Session

10 a.m to 3 p.m. University Library Rm 171. “Specialized for Japanese-related busi-ness in the U.S. and Japan, then Top Group is the solution for you.”

USA Mens’s Basketball vs. Dillard

7:05 p.m. Mitchell Center Tickets $5, kids under 12 free, USA students free with student ID.

wed > nov 9Latin-American Student Associa-

tion Second Meeting

4 p.m. Main campus library Rm 171.“We are an organization made up of people of various backgrounds, any individual that appreciates the diversity of the Latino culture is invited to partici-pate.”

Cooperative Education and Internship Program Orientation Seminar

3 p.m. Career Services, 2100 Meisler Hall.“Detailed overview of the benefi ts, requirements and process of gaining ex-periential education in your fi eld of study prior to graduation.”

fri > nov 11HONK! the musical

7:30 p.m. Laidlaw Performing Arts Center.“A children’s musical based on the story of the ugly duckling.”

Want your event featured? E-mail the name, date, time, price, place and a brief tagline (under 7 words) to life.editor@usavanguard.com. Include “Weekly Lowdown” in the subject line. E-mails must be received at least 7 days before the event.

“Ghouls for Good” had 103 participants sign up. The night of trick-or-treating fun ended with approximately 2,554 cans, almost 500 books, and a $100 check made payable to Bay Area Food Bank, with the numbers expected to rise as other donations come rolling in from other departments. Pictured above is just one “haul” from a group that was added

to the collection effort. Numerous campus organizations partici-pated for this worthy cause.

SANDRA HUYNH/ CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Flash Mobs overtook campus in several key locations, as members of the USA Show Choir showed off their suave moves for a varied and quite surprised audience. Pictured above is the mob at the Humanities building courtyard. There was also another fl ash mob at the Fresh Food Com-

pany dining facility. These performances were designed to gather interest for the USA Show Choir and to get the word out about their presence.

SANDRA HUYNH/ CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

SPORTSVOL. 39, NO. 15 / NOV 7, 201110

JAYSON CURRYSports Editor

JAYSON CURRY, SPORTS EDITORsports.editor@usavanguard.com

South Alabama’s J.J. Keels fueled the USA team with big returns and big runs

Jags take down the Devils, 35-3

It might be USA’s J.J. Keels freshman year but in Thursday night’s game, Keels played like a Jaguar veteran. Keels led his Jaguar team to a 35-3 victory Thurs-day night to keep the Jags undefeated at home.

After Mississippi Valley State stalled on the opening drive of the game, the Delta Devils were forced to punt. After in-juries to returners B.J. Scott and Jereme Jones in the past two weeks, USA decided to allow Keels to try his hand in the return game. It turned out to be the right choice as Keels fi elded the punt off a bounce and returned the punt 45 yards to the MVSU 2-yard line.

“It was big for J.J. to come in there as a true freshman and make those types of plays. We lost B.J. and Jeremé, so we have gotten thin in our return game,” USA head coach Joey Jones said. “I thought he stepped up and did really well.”

Keels was close on his punt return to scoring for the fi rst time in his career at USA and later came even closer. Keels took a handoff from C.J. Bennett around the left side and burst into the MVSU sec-ondary and seemed to cross the goal line. The play was reviewed and he was called out at the 1-yard line.

Keels was full of big plays for the Jags in this game as he opened the second half with a bang. The MVSU kickoff sailed a few yards deep into the end zone forcing Keels to turn his back to the kick cover-age. After catching the ball Keels turned around and saw a lane. He then took the kickoff 100 yards for a score, his fi rst in his career and the longest play in school history.

“Everybody was telling me at the be-ginning of the game, ‘You know, today you have to get a touchdown.’ My whole thing coming into the game, though, was to put forth effort and help my team win, if I score one, I score one,” Keels said. “I want to go down in history for something; I have to do something in this game. I ended up doing it on a kickoff return, which was history, as well as my fi rst touchdown.”

That spark provided by Keels fueled the Jaguar team all game. The Jags Ken Houston would rush into the end zone for the fi rst score of the game just two plays after Keels’ punt return. Houston would

score again in the second quarter and fi nished the game with six rushes for 31 yards and his two scores.

The Jaguar offense was very steady and methodical when driving on the Delta Devils. USA quarterback C.J. Ben-nett fi nished the game with only nine pass attempts completing seven for 65 yards. Bennett also scored one of USA’s fi ve touchdowns on a 1-yard quarterback sneak in the fi rst quarter. Backup quar-terback Myles Gibbon came in for Ben-nett later in the game and completed two of his three passes including a 56 yards catch and run to Wide receiver Greg Hol-linger. The touchdown was Hollinger’s only catch of the game.

After losing suspended cornerback Da-mond Smith and injured safety B.J. Scott, the Jaguar defense was becoming thin in the defensive backfi eld. During Thurs-day’s game, that problem was made a lit-tle bit worse as Greg Loper, who took over for Smith, left the game with a leg injury.

In spite of missing some key defend-ers, the Jag defense only allowed a fi eld goal that was set up by a muffed punt re-turn. The Delta Devils were given great fi eld position inside the Jag red zone, but the defense played bend but don’t break all night.

The defense gave up only 166 total yards to MVSU and only allowed MVSU’s

quarterback Garrick Jones to complete seven of his 23 passes for 67 yards.

The defense was led by Charles Harris, who fi nished the night with 12 total tack-les to lead both teams. Harris also was credited with a forced fumble that was re-covered by USA’s Alonzo Long. USA line-backers Ben Giles fi nished with nine total tackles and Enrique Williams with seven.

“We are kind of a methodical football team; we don’t have big-play guys on of-fense. J.J. came in and sparked us in the return game, and he had a couple of good runs. But we are the kind of team that if we don’t make mistakes and have a lot of penalties, we have a chance to beat a lot of people,” Jones said. “When we play like we did tonight then we end up on the winning side, so we just need to keep that up.”

“I thought we played really sound in the fi rst half, the defense gave up a little yardage in between the 20s but got stiff down there toward the goal line. The offense had a short fi eld a couple of times, and then we had an 80-plus yard drive in the fi rst half, which is big,” Jones added. “The special teams played well — the return game was good and we kicked the ball well. Overall, I am real pleased with the game.”

MATT WEAVER

Above- South Alabama’s defense huddles up prior to the snap against MVSU on Thursday. Bottom right- South Alabama’s special teams punt returner, J.J. Keels.

VOL. 39, NO. 15 / NOV 7, 201113

JAGS FALL 3-0 TO DIVISION LEADER WESTERN KENTUCKY

In the fi rst match of its four-match home stand, the University of South Alabama vol-leyball team dropped a 3-0 (20-25, 21-25, 14-25) decision to Sun Belt East Division leader Western Kentucky Friday evening at Jag Gym.

“I thought we were very competitive in each of the fi rst two sets,” South Alabama head coach Nicole Keshock said. “Those two sets came down to just a few things at the end. The third set was disappointing. We had talked about staying in the match the whole way. The fi rst two sets came down to a point here or there, a dig here or there, better coverage. Western Kentucky started blocking us better towards the latter part of each of those sets. If we had of had better coverage, maybe the set would have been different.”

USA (9-16, 4-9 SBC) will next host Mid-dle Tennessee on Sunday with fi rst serve set for noon. With the win, the Toppers improve to 26-3 overall and 13-1 in the con-ference.

HERNANDEZ, OWEN NAMED TO 2011 ACADEMIC ALL-DISC-TRICT WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM

The University of South Alabama soccer team had a pair of student-athletes named to the 2011 Capital One Academic All-Dis-trict Team Friday afternoon.

Sophomores Clarissa Hernandez (Pen-sacola, Fla.) and Shelby Owen (Trussville, Ala.) were voted to the District 4 Second Team as selected by the College Sports In-formation Directors of America.

The Academic All-District teams recog-nize student-athletes for their combined performances on the fi eld and in the class-room.

Hernandez carries a 3.9 grade point av-erage and is majoring in chemical engineer-ing. She started all 20 matches for the Jags at midfi eld and contributed fi ve assists this season. Hernandez also added three goals on the year.

CARDEN NAMED DIRECTOR OF BASEBALL OPERATIONS

University of South Alabama baseball head coach Mark Calvi announced the hir-ing of Andrew Carden as Director of Base-ball Operations Friday.

Carden joins the USA staff after spend-ing the past three years as an assistant coach at Central Alabama Community Col-lege in Alexander City, Ala.

Carden is a native of Hartselle, Ala., and a 2000 graduate of Hartselle High School. He lettered four years in baseball and foot-ball for the Tigers, and helped the HHS baseball program capture back-to-back 5A state championships from 1999-2000.

-Wire reports

Athletics updates

J.T. CRABTREESports Reporter

USA point guard Trey Anderson

COURTESY OF USAJAGUARS.COM

Running the Point: USA’s

Trey AndersonLast Tuesday not only marked the be-

ginning of a new men’s basketball season but also an introduction to a new team. With only six returning players from last season, many fans may not be familiar with the new look team. Let me introduce you to our new point guard, Trey Ander-son.

The 6”3’ junior transfer has a passion for the game that is rarely matched by his opponents. Being the son of two former collegiate basketball players, basketball is second nature to Trey.

“I always knew I was going to play bas-ketball. It was always around me,” An-derson said. “I think I picked up my skills from my parents, they both played point. It’s in my blood.”

Playing the point guard position re-quires a player to be a leader, and Trey feels that he will fi ll that role well for the Jags.

“I see myself as a leader. Aug (Augus-tine Rubit) isn’t very talkative, but he leads by example,” Anderson said. “We have a couple other guys that defi nitely speak up when we’re not doing what we should be doing.”

Trey also brings a wealth of big game experience with him to the Jags. Through his previous stops before South Alabama, Trey has been exposed to the Big Dance, and feels the Jags can bring similar results this year. “I played at St. Mary’s my fi rst two years, and we made it to the Sweet Sixteen, which was pretty cool,” Anderson said. “Last year I played at Neosho County Community College in Kansas. Assistant coach Taylor was actually my coach over at Neosho, he came with me here.”

Of course coming over from a new team means getting used to new surroundings, and Trey feels confi dent in his new team and its coaching staff. “Coach Arrow is very demanding, but he knows what he is talking about. As soon as you buy into his system, you’ll be successful. I think what I can do with what he’s preaching,” Ander-son said. “I think the sky’s the limit for us. This team is very comparable to St. Mary’s talent-wise. We can go as far as we let our-selves go.”

After the home opener against Mobile, the Jags face a big challenge as they hit the road to take on Florida State and LSU in back-to-back games. With the current set-up, Trey feels the Jags can do more than most expect. “I think we have a chance, as long as we stay with coach Arrow’s game play, I think we can make some noise and shock some people,” Anderson said. “A lot of people don’t think we’re as good as we are. I think we can grab some attention with those games.”

Trey also expressed encouragement in the fan turnout for the game. “It was good. It was a lot of fun,” Anderson said. “I think as soon as more people hear how good we are, more people will show up to come check us out.”

After the Jags played on Tuesday, it showed why Trey was so confi dent in his team. The team showed a much more team oriented system, and improved pass-ing and free throw shooting. Anderson fi nished Tuesday’s game with a team and game high of eight assists, six points and fi ve rebounds. If the Jags continue this, fans will defi nitely have something to look forward to in the 2011-2012 season.

Brandiii_19 Brandi- Drink-ing sprite for the fi rst time since August.. My year is made.Kevin_Michael12 Kevin-Mi-chael Helms- “Have a mouth as sharp as a dagger but a heart as soft as tofu. -Chinese Proverbs”UnoDosTrey123 Trey Ander-son- Will smith is my idol #man-crush lolUnoDosTrey123 Trey Ander-son- Appreciate all the fan sup-port tonight! We are gonna keep it rolling for y’all!!! #southinya-mouth #pawsinyadrawsBj_Scott_1 Bj Scott- This way diff 4rm when I grew up Hallow-een in Prichard was crucial lol getting egged all the time havin 2check dangerous tampered wit candyBj_Scott_1 Bj Scott- In desper-ate need of a kid right now my neighborhood is jumping for Hal-loween. .. Need an excuse to get candy. SmhDrewPac72 Drew Dearman-Looking for my friends on game-day, somebody make a move and get seen!!!DrewPac72 Drew Dearman-Going to bed with no alarm set... Possibly the best part of having an off weekendCJBennett15 cj bennett- How can people not believe in God when there’s things like honey butter chicken biscuits... and yes I’m at whataburgerjgeezy54 jon griffi n- The last person i will ever accept a friend request on facebook from...The Grove Managers #wallofshame-forlifeEazy_E13 Ellis HIll- In the room locked up trying to catch up on this studying...! Test tomorrow. I’ll be doing a lot of studying today I think...lollilwaldon_81 Corey Waldon-Call buffalo wild wings “we want overtime”Lavend_ER_ Bryant Laven-der- Jus seen one of the chefs for cafe Ridin a jag bike lol

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14VOL. 39, NO. 15 / NOV 7, 2011

JAYSON CURRYSports Editor

As the USA baseball team wraps up their fall practices, new head coach Mark Calvi has a simple goal in place for him and his players. “Our goal around here is to win champion-ships,” Calvi said. “That’s our goal.”

As high of a goal as that is, Calvi truly be-lieves the Jaguar baseball program can do it.

“My goals every year, I never set a goal that we have to win this many games as a bench mark or we can’t win an amount of games. We want to win the Sun Belt. We want to win the league. We want to win the regular season. We want to win a regional, and we want to win a super regional, and we want to get this program to the college world series and take our chances,” Calvi said. “And I just know that if you have the right bunch of guys and they are buying in too. You can’t just get there in one day. It is a daily thing. You have to prac-tice like you want to win a championship so when you get there, you are ready.”

After spending the past six years as an assistant coach at South Carolina, where his team won a national championship, Calvi was hired by USA to be the head coach in waiting, behind Steve Kittrell last year, and to become the head coach this season.

The baseball program not only has a new

USA baseball prepares for 2012 season

head coach but new players. Calvi has brought in assistants Bob Keller and Jerry Zulli and 31 new players. “This fall was very productive,” Calvi said. “We have 31 new players, so it is quite an undertaking for the coaches to know the players, the players to know the coaches and the players to get to know themselves and for them to gel and play in a team concept.”

“They worked extremely hard every single day, and that’s what it’s going to take to build a championship program or a program that challenges to win championships. You have to have guys that are motivated and like each other and buy into the team concept.”

USA earned being ranked 47th in the coun-try for their 2011-12 recruiting class because of Calvi and part of the 31 new players. The Jaguars brought in Mississippi Press Boys Athlete of the Year award winner Colin Bray and Spanish Fort’s Cole Jarmon, who helped the Toros win back to back 5A Alabama State championships in baseball.

“I think it’s good to have any little bit of notoriety, but I’m never into rankings, and I think if you have the right guys in the end, it will take care of itself,” Calvi said. “At South Carolina, I was part of two No. 1 recruiting classes, and we never got passed a super re-gional. It was the class ranked 18th and 19th in 2008 and 2009, and those kids won back-to-back national championships. It’s just a matter of having the right guy.”

Calvi and his assistants have done well re-cruiting so far, but it’s more than just fi nding good baseball players, it’s about fi nding the “right guy” as Calvi said. “All the guys in the program this year not only passed the recruit-ing test but they passed the make-up testes as well. Guys are going to class and going the

USA baseball head coach Mark CalviCOURTESY OF AL.COM

right thing, and they are representing them-selves and the program and that’s what you have to do to build a program around,”Calvi said. “I will avoid the guys who have some baggage or some issues. It doesn’t matter how good they are, I will steer clear of them. I’m not looking for angels, but there are some guys who are incapable of doing the right thing on a consistent base and those are the guys that bring down your program.”

This fall the baseball program has been focusing on practicing and gelling together as a team. The team has recently fi nished the Red-Blue World Series, which is USA’s intra-squad games. The series allows the players and coaches to get ready for the season by go-ing through every situation they will face dur-ing the real season. “Basically what the intra-squad is for is, it puts them in a competitive atmosphere. I put a lot of stock in the fall, but I don’t base everything off the fall,” Calvi said. “From a situational standpoint it has been re-ally good. It put them in situations where they had to execute.”

The baseball team has fi nished up their fall practices. They won’t practice again un-til late in January before their fi rst game on February 17th against the College of Charleston at 6:30 pm.

DISTRACTIONSVOL. 39, NO. 15 / NOV 7, 201115

VANGUARD STAFFeditor.in.chief@usavanguard.com

Weekly Quotable Quote“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” -John F. Kennedy

Jag Life- By Ben Lewis

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